'Government of Bahrain Annual Report for Year 1361 (February 1942 - January 1943)' [‎259r] (43/76)

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accommodated in the hostel of the Secondary School under the care of the Education Department.
This has proved a very satisfactory arrangement from the point of view of discipline and the general
welfare of these students. The Muharraq group contains the largest proportion of good all-round
boys of all those from the Bahrain schools. Those from Hedd, on the whole, are the least adaptable
to the conditions of technical training. The Kuwait students generally have been highly satisfactory,
suggesting that much care has been given to the matter of their selection as scholarship holders.
The payment of a maintenance allowance of Rs. 5 per month to all Bahrain students has been
continued. The payment of Technical School students originated as a wage system related to the
output of contract work from the school shops. Remuneration for such work is now separately
provided for, but it would not be desirable to abolish the small maintenance wages at the present time.
The general standard of the school has improved considerably, due partly to the elimination
of backward boys unable to sustain their courses of instruction, and also to the second selective recruit
ment (October 1942) in which 27 new students were chosen by examination from among some 50
applicants. The rapid progress now being made by the 2nd year students demonstrates the
advantages of rigorous selection in regard to age, ability and physical fitness of applicants. The
majority of those who have survived to this stage in their second year are keen, manly, well balanced
youths, deriving much benefit from every side of their training. It is fortunate that they are so, for
selection is costly in trouble and money. A good deal of success is needed to compensate for the care
of the quite large number of boys who in the end prove unfitted for technical training and leave the
school after a time, either as failures or by reason of the prospect of immediate remuneration in the
less satisfactory kinds of employment.
Staff. One of the five Syrian teachers, Jamaluddin, left in the summer after five years service
in the school. The work of the Syrians is in most ways very satisfactory and the keenness of the
students is largely due to their influence. Their teaching methods still leave much to be desired, but
first-rate teaching can hardly be expected from men who probably have never themselves worked under
skilful and inspiring teachers. In addition to the Syrians there is one teacher of Bahrain nationality
who is responsible for English teaching and part of the physical training. His work is fairly good.
A third Workman-Instructor, like the others an ex-student of the school, was added to the staff
towards the end of the year. He had worked for a few years in the shops of the Bahrain Petroleum
Company and is a skilful metal craftsman. The workman-instructors are not given any regular class
teaching. They work in the shops side by side with the students sharing the more difficult operations
and helping on the beginners. Their presence is highly beneficial.
Equipment. New tools and machines to the value of approximately Rs. 26,000 have been
brought into the school during the year. Most of this plant was purchased in Bombay at high prices
in an extremely difficult market. The machines which it was possible to obtain for the engineering
shop are not ideal for their purpose, but they will satisfy the requirements of the instructional courses
for some time to come. They are not unit driven in accordance with most modern practice and the
erection of the necessary line shafting for them is delaying their operation. This work is being done
by the students and instructors and it is very slow and laborious on account of the use of heav \ timber
in the structural work instead of steel, which is now unobtainable. It is providing useful experience,
however, and exercising the resourcefulness of those engaged in it. It is unfortunate that the acute
shortage of metals is limiting the range of practical work in the engineering shop to a \er\ inadequate
series of small exercises. A number of basic engineering processes will remain unknown to the
students, except through theoretical instruction until the deficiencies in material and equipment aic
made good. One of the principal lacunae in the shop is welding equipment.
In addition to workshop plant and tools the school has added considerably to its furniture
and classroom equipment. This has nearly all been manufactured on the premises at the expense of
some Rs. 3,000 in materials and wages.
Contract work and standard of craftsmanship. An increased amount of contract work has
been done in the school shops during the year. This was mostly furniture and othei woodwork supplied